By John E. Weare, Keep Alliance Beautiful
ALLIANCE, Neb. - Few people journal about the workplace. Or, if they do, few share the viewpoint of what they have written. Television show writers have taken us there in series such as “The Office” and “Park And Rec” drawing on situations anybody can identify with who has been employed in an office. I do not journal regularly nor about the Keep Alliance Beautiful Recycling Center in particular though it never fails to be a fun, interesting if challenging, at times, place to spend the majority of daylight hours Monday through Friday.
To visitors I am sure our rented facility appears to be organized chaos on some days then a bit more put together on others. Lately we have taken in a few interesting loads and spent time on projects that have taken up room.
As this column reaches the public on the screen or page one such project is expected to come to fruition. Months ago, KAB purchased a 10-container trailer earmarked to convey plastic from the north lot along Second Street in Alliance to be sorted and baled 50 yards away in “the shop”.
The trailer was affordable (used) with a few issues, including the arms that lift each side to load and unload its black containers. Instead of fixing the issue immediately I wanted the extra capacity for plastic – our most popular recycled material by volume after cardboard. Turns out lifting the sides with a forklift was not practical. Fast forward: the trailer is up to snuff and is/will soon be parked at the KAB location in Hemingford (behind the former police station on Box Butte Ave.)
The latest addition joins another 10-container conveyance with expanded room for aluminum cans and paperboard as well as space for tin/steel cans, glass and mixed paper; and a smaller trailer for corrugated cardboard. The two IBC totes will remain as an overflow for bagged materials. Our neighbors to the north continue to recycle more, even driving to Alliance on occasion when the trailers fill.
I am curious to see the difference additional trailer space will make. Specifically, visitors to the Hemingford recycling site tend to be, on average, better about putting the appropriate materials through each labeled door than people doing the same in Alliance. The door says “glass”, seems pretty straightforward. Same with tin, paper, milk jugs, etc. Instead our crew gets excited when we pull a container and have few nonconforming items to remove.
A couple weeks ago in Casper, Wyo., I noticed what appeared to be a new (at least since I was there in 2024) drive through recycling facility. The spot is along a major street near the fairgrounds with tall black chain link fencing. I assume there were gates though I did not notice them. All the materials KAB accepts were represented here in stout steel containers that had slots to be emptied by garbage-style trucks. A recycler driving a red Prius deposited his small bags in the given slots and was on his way as I surveyed the setup. Each container sported large white-lettered labels in English and Spanish as well as a photo decal of what belonged there.
Perhaps they sort solely by hand too at their MRF. If not I hope this has led to less sorting for the machines and their human helpers. Another journal entry would have to be an influx of paper from one location here in town.
Multiple loads via pickup and forklift in recent weeks brought 10,000 pounds of printshop paper to the shop. Paper is one of those surprisingly heavy things. One sheet can ride the breeze forever, yet a 4x4x4-foot stack weighs over a ton.
Lastly, look for our cardboard gleaners in a “new” pickup later this month. KAB is adding a tan and brown 1982 Ford F-100 with a topper to our fleet. (Two makes a fleet right?) We will again have the capacity to better serve the public visiting businesses on a regular schedule while responding to calls.